Things People Say To Interpreters

• Why did you learn sign language?
• What’s your full-time (or real) job?
• What do you do for a living?
• Are you a volunteer?
• What’s the sign for (curse word/dirty word)?
• Are your parents/siblings/spouse deaf?
• Are you their (deaf client’s) friend/relative/spouse?
• Do you follow him/her (deaf client) all day?
• Have you interpreted for him/her before?
• How long have you known him/her?
• How long did it take you to learn to sign?
• Where can I go to learn to sign?
• Puzzled look meaning: Who are you and why are you here?
• Do they (deaf client) understand?
• Tell him/her....
• I’ll explain it to you and you can tell them....
• We don’t need an interpreter, we understand each other fine.
• This is really nice of you.
• Is sign language universal?
• Do you paraphrase? I noticed you didn’t sign everything.
• I guess you really learn a lot from interpreting this class/meeting, training, etc.
• Are you hearing or deaf?
• Can he (deaf client) lip read?
• Can you lip read?
• Who do I speak to, you (interpreter) or them (deaf client)?
• Do you read Braille?
• For team assignments: Why are there two of you?
• I bet your hands get really tired doing this.
• Who do you work for?
• You brought/cam with them (deaf client) right?
• So, how long have they been deaf? (Or other background info on the client)
• Am I talking too fast?
• Could you sign that again?
• If you want to see something "funny" watch the interpreter sign this...
• Can he/she drive?
• I know how to sign, can you read this? (fingerspelling H-I)
• How did he/she go deaf?
• So, what kind of job will he/she be able to de?
• Did you know there is an operation now that can cure deafness?
• Aren’t you worried that your job will be made obsolete by computers?
• You spell a lot of words, don’t you know all the signs?
• It must be very fulfilling to work with deaf people!
• Wow, you really did a great job...I watched you much more than I watched the speaker.
• From kids: How come you were dancing on stage?
• From kids: Aren’t you the guy who was making all those faces?
• (After flailing their arms and fingers about) What did I say?
• God must have blessed your hands.
• You must find this job very rewarding/satisfying.
• Educational setting: When will you get promoted to a teacher?
• When signing to include everyone in a conversation: You don’t have to sign for me. I can hear.
• Do they let you people do that?]Are you the minister?
• Can you hear?
• "Bobby" knows sign language - he learned last week at church!
• That is the most special thing I have ever seen.
• I don’t know sign language, but you are the best I’ve ever seen!
• Did you get that?
• Let me see how you signed that.
• Oh, you’re the first male interpreter we’ve had.
• You’re not So and So (another interpreter)
• Don’t tell them this....
• Why are you still here?
• We’ve never needed an interpreter before!?
• How much do they pay you to do this?
• Do you get paid to do that?
• Do you mind working voluntarily?
• Oh, he’s deaf?...What a shame...he’s so good looking.
• "Books for the deaf must be really thick." Perplexed I asked him why. "Because the authors would have to draw pictures of all those signs.
• Will he grow out of it?
• Hearing: We’re going to show a video, so you’ll have a break. Interpreter: Is it captioned? Hearing: I don’t think so.
• Where’s you little friend (meaning the deaf client)?
• Aren’t you tired? or Aren’t your hands tired?
• That’s so precious.
• Here are his discharge papers; you can sign right here on this line.
• You should see if you can get credit for this class.
• Wow, you sign fast.
• Wow, that must be hard to learn.
• Wow, it must be hard to interpret.
• I don’t know how you can keep up with the speaker.
• My son/daughter/niece/etc. knows sign language.
• I had/have a deaf friend.
• My brother/nephew/aunt...is deaf.
• Can he (deaf client) lipread?
• I knew a deaf person. Boy, could they lipread well.
• I know a deaf person.
• What you do is a real blessing/ministry.
• I’m envious of what you do.
• I took a sign language class years/months ago.
• That’s the neatest/coolest thing.
• I have to learn that (sign language).
• I find what you do fascinating.
• How long have you been doing this?

  some answers: